Install SignPlayer on a Mac mini, iMac or MacBook

Quick answer

DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer installs on any Mac running a currently supported macOS as the free SignPlayer Desktop for Mac app: download it from the Downloads page of your free account, install it on the Mac behind the screen, and type the registration code shown on the player into SignStudio under Register SignPlayer to pair the screen. For an unattended screen: a dedicated user with automatic login, SignPlayer in Login Items, sleep and screen saver off.

Requirements

Item	Requirement
macOS	A currently supported version of macOS. DigitalSignage.com does not publish a specific minimum version or chip: check the Downloads page
Mac	Mac mini, iMac or MacBook. A Mac mini behind the display is the usual choice
Video output	One output per screen you drive from this Mac
Network	Wired Ethernet where possible. Wi-Fi works, and the local cache covers short outages
Account	A free DigitalSignage.com account. First 3 screens free forever

Supported devices

• Mac mini behind the display. No screen, battery or lid to worry about, mounts behind the display or in a cabinet, handles heavy multi-zone layouts and 4K content, and drives one screen per video output.
• iMac where its own display is the signage screen, for example a reception desk or a counter.
• MacBook for a pilot. The lid, battery and built-in screen make it a poor permanent fixture.
• Older Macs that no longer get macOS updates: install ChromeOS Flex and follow the Chrome OS setup guide.

Install SignPlayer on a Mac

1. Create a free account in SignStudio and build or pick a campaign.
2. On the Mac behind the screen, sign in to your account and open the Downloads page.
3. Download SignPlayer Desktop for Mac and install it.
4. Open SignPlayer. If macOS asks whether to open an app downloaded from the internet, confirm it.
5. Connect the screen. With several displays, set them to extend rather than mirror in Displays settings.

Pair the screen with your account

1. Create a free account at SignStudio if you do not have one. It asks for an email and a password only, no credit card.
2. Open SignPlayer on the Mac.
3. The player shows a registration code. In SignStudio, click Register SignPlayer and enter that code: the screen joins your account. Alternatively, tap register manually on the player and sign in with your DigitalSignage.com email and password.
4. In SignStudio, assign a campaign to the new screen and publish it.
5. The player downloads the campaign, caches it locally and starts playing. Screens 2 and 3 are added the same way and stay free.

DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer is controlled from SignStudio over a real-time socket connection. If a firewall blocks that, it falls back to HTTP polling, so you do not need a static IP address or any port forwarding. From then on you manage the screen remotely: live status, remote snapshots, player version, scheduling and automatic software updates.

Run in kiosk / auto-start mode

These are standard macOS settings, not a DigitalSignage.com installer.

1. Automatic login. Create a dedicated standard user for the screen and set it to log in automatically in System Settings, Users and Groups. Automatic login is not available while FileVault is on.
2. Start at login. Add SignPlayer to that user's Login Items so it opens after every restart and power cut.
3. Never sleep. In the Energy and Lock Screen settings, prevent automatic sleeping, set the display to never turn off and turn the screen saver off.
4. Restart after a power failure. On a desktop Mac, enable starting up automatically after a power failure in the Energy settings.
5. Quiet. Turn notifications off for the signage user and schedule software updates outside opening hours.
6. Physical control. macOS has no single-app kiosk mode like Windows Assigned Access or iPad Guided Access. Run the player full screen on a dedicated user, unplug the keyboard and mouse after setup, and mount the Mac out of reach.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
The Mac waits at the login window after a restart	Turn on automatic login for the signage user. If FileVault is on, automatic login is unavailable until you turn FileVault off
SignPlayer does not open after a restart	Add SignPlayer to the signage user's Login Items
The display goes dark or a screen saver appears	Prevent automatic sleeping, set the display to never turn off and disable the screen saver
The Mac stays off after a power cut	Enable start up automatically after a power failure in the Energy settings
A macOS update prompt covers the screen	Turn notifications off for the signage user and schedule updates outside opening hours
Both screens show the same thing	Set the displays to extend, not mirror, and assign each output its own screen in SignStudio
The Mac no longer receives macOS updates	Repurpose it with ChromeOS Flex and the Chrome OS player

More on hardware and multi-screen setups is in the Mac digital signage guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a DigitalSignage.com player for Mac?

Yes. SignPlayer Desktop has a Mac version: a free standalone application you download from the Downloads page in your DigitalSignage.com account, install on the Mac behind the screen and type the registration code shown on the player into SignStudio under Register SignPlayer to pair it. It keeps playing from its local cache when the internet drops.

Which Mac can run SignPlayer?

Any Mac running a currently supported version of macOS. A Mac mini behind the display is the usual choice: no screen, battery or lid, it mounts behind the display and handles heavy multi-zone layouts and 4K content comfortably. An iMac works where its own display is the signage screen.

How do I stop a Mac from sleeping during digital signage?

Use a dedicated user with automatic login, add SignPlayer to that user's Login Items, and in the Energy and Lock Screen settings prevent automatic sleeping, set the display to never turn off and turn the screen saver off. Turn notifications off and schedule macOS updates outside opening hours.

Can I use an old Mac that no longer gets macOS updates?

Yes. Install Google's free ChromeOS Flex on it and run the Chrome OS version of SignPlayer. Kiosk mode on ChromeOS needs a Chrome Enterprise Kiosk license per device; without it the player still runs as a normal app.

Can one Mac drive several screens?

Yes. SignPlayer Desktop supports as many screens as the Mac has video outputs, so a Mac mini with two display outputs can run two menu boards or a two-screen wall from one installation.

Try it on your own screens, free

DigitalSignage.com, which publishes this guide, runs a permanent free plan: the first 3 screens are free forever (no credit card, no ads, no watermark, no time limit), then from $3 per screen per month on Plus+. Once an account has 4 or more screens, every screen is billed, so 10 screens cost $360 a year; Enterprise is priced per screen in the public price calculator. The free DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any modern web browser, so the hardware you already own usually works. Start free · 2026 pricing · How 11 vendors compare on price

Maintained by MediaSignage Inc., operator of DigitalSignage.com since 2006. Requirements on this page come from our own platform pages and the Downloads page inside your account; where we do not publish a figure, this page says so instead of guessing. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.